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No, You Are Not A Gong Master

This came across my radar recently, someone was posting about being a Gong Master after having taken a class with a well known person in the Gong community. I'm sorry, you studied for a weekend, or a week, with someone and now you refer to yourself as a master? Let's look at a few of the definitions of master:

master

noun | mas•ter | \'mas-tər\

Definition of MASTER

1

c: a worker or artisan qualified to teach apprentices

d (1): an artist, performer, or player of consummate skill (2): a great figure of the past (as in science or art) whose work serves as a model or ideal

Unfortunately, the definitions do not delve further into what it takes to become a master. They do not refer to the years, even decades, or practice and work that goes into mastering something. Nor do they speak of the devotion needed.Let us look at artists considered to be masters: Mozart, Beethoven, Stravinsky, DaVinci, Michelangelo, Rothko, DeKooning, and many, many, more. Now look at yourself. How do you compare? How is your mastery of what you do? How much time and devotion have you put into it? Before you call yourself a Gong Master, take a good look at yourself and what you do. Then realize you are more likely an apprentice, a neophyte, a student. The title of Master is something you earn over time, over a lifetime.~ MB

Chop Wood | Carry Water | Play Gongs

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Percussionist/composer/writer/photographer/tea & chocolate enthusiast—
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